Dissociated developmental trajectories for semantic and phonological false memories

Memory. 2006 Jul;14(5):624-36. doi: 10.1080/09658210600736525.

Abstract

False recognition following presentation of semantically related and phonologically related word lists was evaluated in 8-, 11-, and 13-year-olds. Children heard lists of words that were either semantic (e.g., bed, rest, wake ...) or phonological associates (e.g., pole, bowl, hole ...) of a critical unpresented word (e.g., sleep, roll), respectively. A semantic false memory was defined as false recognition of a semantically related but unpresented word. A phonological false memory was defined as false recognition of a phonologically related but unpresented word. False memories in the two tasks showed opposite developmental trends, increasing with age for semantic relatedness and decreasing with age for phonological relatedness.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Child
  • Child Development*
  • Humans
  • Language Tests
  • Memory*
  • Mental Recall
  • Models, Psychological
  • Psychological Tests
  • Psychology, Child
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Repression, Psychology*
  • Speech